Fallen Walls
by lotsofnorths
Summary: Set sometime in series two, The Doctor and Rose Tyler have had yet another exhausting adventure on a planet that turns out to need more help then they are able to give. Coping with all that she has seen proves a little more difficult for Rose this time than it has in the past. Perhaps the Doctor will be able to make her feel better.
1. Chapter 1

**Fallen Walls**

**Part **1**/3**

**Uploaded:** January 11, 2015

**Rated: **T

**Spoilers:** None

**Summary: **Set sometime in series two, The Doctor and Rose Tyler have had yet another exhausting adventure on a planet that turns out to need more help then they are able to give. Coping with all that she has seen proves a little more difficult for Rose this time than it has in the past. Perhaps the Doctor will be able to make her feel better.

**Disclaimer: **None of the following characters or circumstances belong to me, but rather to the lovely people over at BBC who are responsible for the creation of this amazing show and its wonders. I own nothing.

**A/N: **Hello! This was a little something I came up with recently and was happy enough with it upon finishing it that I thought I'd try something a little different and upload it here. If even one person enjoys a sentence or two out of this I'll be pleased since I wrote it purely for my own enjoyment. It's fluff and not much more. I just can't get enough of these two and always get a kick out of seeing the Doctor truly being a doctor. Review if you like, I don't mind. -Max

Whether it was running for her life on a planet that was entirely purple, from a beast three times her size and covered in metallic feathers, down the grated ramp and through those blue wooden doors, toward a brand new city with spires that towered into the sky, or into the Doctor's arms after a bit of a close call that they both new was really a catastrophically close call, Rose Tyler new better than almost anyone the ins and outs of moving quickly.

The past few weeks had especially proven this. With the practically non-stop travel from planet to planet aiding and supporting where it was needed, thwarting villains where they had to, Rose had hardly slept. She wasn't entirely sure why the Doctor was so enthusiastic about everything lately, only that she was quickly becoming exhausted by it. She knew her human body needed eight hours of sleep a night and she also knew she had been getting no where near that lately. The Doctor surly hadn't meant to work her so hard. She knew how easily he seemed to forget that she wasn't in fact like him and that she was a little less resistant to fatigue than he was. Oh sure, he was quick to rub her human faults in her face when he wanted to but he could still be dreadfully unaware sometimes. She didn't exactly blame him for it, what with all the incredible things that must be rolling around in that brain of his at any given moment, she just knew that she had to speak up and remind him every once in a while. And she planned to do just that.

Turning her body towards the young child that was currently standing before her, Rose dunked the flannel cloth in her hand into the basin of water sitting on the bench beside her and crouched down, putting the two of them at eye-level. The child was dark haired, with eyes the colour of coal and skin the pale grey that every person on this planet seemed to have. He had ridges along his forehead and cheekbones, a feature that the natives all shared although, Rose noticed, the females seemed to have more prominent ones. These locals were beautiful and Rose couldn't help but be enamoured by them. The graceful way that even the little ones walked and spoke captured her eyes as soon as she had stepped out of the TARDIS a few days prior. Now though, she couldn't help but think about how helpless they all seemed when the earthquake had struck.

It wasn't anything she or the Doctor could have prevented, quite the opposite in fact. It was simply an act of nature, the planet's way of readjusting, rejuvenating. The Doctor had explained to her that seismic activity was very minimal on this planet, due to the materials that the crust was made of, and that the last time anything like this would have happened could have been centuries ago. The natives had no way of predicting it, had no reference point for what was happening and only new that the ground was shaking beneath their feet, buildings were crumbling to the ground and people were dying. Of course, the Doctor had been able to stabilize the planet fairly quickly, only about ten minutes of real action, but not quickly enough to stop its destruction completely. He had gone off to speak with one of the chiefs of the area, trying to help them set up some kind of system to begin the process of cleaning up. For all the talk the Doctor did about never staying behind for clean up, Rose figured this once he would allow it. How could they not, after all that had happened?

The stone floor was cold beneath her knees where she sat in front of the child, gently rinsing a rather large gash on the little boy's arm. She was no doctor, she knew that, but if all she could do was wash and keep wounds clean than she would. People were still frantic, medics attempting to do all that they could but not being able to keep up. The large church that they had made into a make-shift medical centre was one of the few buildings in the area that had come through the earthquake unscathed. The thick stone walls and heavy supports all around the building created just enough protection that it hadn't crumbled to the ground the way many of the houses and markets had. When the Doctor had gone off to help in the way he did best, Rose new her efforts would be most appreciated here, where help was slim and the people were frantic.

The doctors and nurses had immediately accepted her help, setting her off to fetch clean water from the wells, to clean wounds, to pass out blankets, and to make sure everyone got a piece of hardy bread when dinner time came and went. The scene around her was nothing short of depressing, all of the footage of wars, natural disasters and devastation she had always seen on the telly on her own planet coming to mind. She was never taught how to cope with things like this, she knew. Sure, on their travels Rose had seen plenty of death and destruction, too much no doubt, but it was rare that she was in this position. It was rare that she saw the aftermath. It was rare that she saw the complete and utter suffering. She had, however, learned fairly early on with the Doctor how to conceal her emotions, at least for a time. Oh yes, Rose Tyler had become an expert at throwing up emotional walls, blocking her feelings until a safe time when she could let them take over. It may not be entirely healthy, but she knew it was necessary. It would do no one any good for her to lose her head now.

So, as always, Rose trekked on. She moved from victim to victim, treating them to the best of her abilities and handing them off to someone else if that wasn't good enough. She comforted them as best as she could too. She found herself thoroughly taken with the children. She played with the ones who were in good enough shape to do so, she rocked babies and held bottles and she tried her very best to make them smile. If nothing else, Rose was certain she was good at making people smile.

When night fell and the church grew dark and quiet, when everyone had been treated as well as they could be with the limited supplies and doctors, Rose stood, passing the baby girl she had been holding to another set of arms, and left through the large wooden doors at the front. She walked slowly along the stone roads, her arms wrapped around herself in the cool night air and her head bowed in what was resignation or exhaustion she couldn't tell, but figured was likely a bit of both. The roadways now had large cracks running through them and were scattered with rubble and dust. She tried not to think about whom the houses may have belonged to, who might have built them or what may now be lying underneath the piles of stone. She tried and failed.

Only when she finally saw the Doctor up the road in front of her, standing with a group of other adults, all looking rather distraught, did Rose think about how awful she must look. Her pale pink t-shirt was stained with something that she couldn't identify in the dark but that she knew was likely a mixture of mud, dirt and blood, her jeans were torn at the knees and ripped at the bottoms, covered in dust and grime just like the rest of her. She had managed to pull her hair into some kind of bun on top of her head at some point but there were now chunks of dyed-blonde hair hanging around her face, tangled and looking the epitome of what her mother had always called a "rat's nest" when she didn't brush it. The Doctor wasn't looking much better; his wild hair tousled even more than usual and his long brown coat covered in soot. He turned when he heard her approaching though, and gave her a grim little smile and a wave.

She picked up her pace and he turned away from the group to walk toward her, gathering her up into his arms and embracing her as soon as she was near enough. Her face pressed against his chest and she inhaled, needing to smell that scent that she now associated with home, no matter how masked it was by the strong, spicy smell of destruction. His hand came to rest against the back of her head and he squeezed her tighter. She knew then, that something must be wrong.

"Alright?" he said, pulling away so he could see her face. She shrugged her shoulders, suppressing a wince at her protesting muscles. She hadn't felt this sore in a very long time.

"Suppose. As alright as I can be anyway, what with the state this place is in," her voice is scratchy when she speaks, likely from all the dust she's been inhaling.

The Doctor nodded his head, knowing precisely what she meant. He's seen all this before after all, too many times to count. He wishes for a moment that she didn't have to see these things, that he could simply take her from one leisure planet to another, could keep her safe and happy and healthy day in and day out. He changes his mind though when he remembers all the help she's given these people today, the difference she makes whenever in a tough situation. The people needed her today, he needed her and her compassion went a long way in providing comfort. The pride that welled up in him for his companion, his friend, his best mate was strong and immediate. He couldn't keep her away from real life.

"How's this all going then? Come up with some kind of plan? They really need some kind of warning systems Doctor. I know you said this only happens every few centuries but even if it prevents one death it's worth it yeah? And they need to be educated on what these are and why they happen so that they can-" but he interrupted her by speaking her name softly.

"We've done all that we can do," he told her gently, his hands planted on her shoulders. "I've given them all the tools they need to rebuild and start fresh. We can't interfere with their timelines too much. As it is, just seeing people who don't look like them has had a great effect on them. I can't give them the scientific details of what's happened. That's something they've got to figure out on their own. They have to learn and grow and evolve just as every species does."

Rose looked at him with an expression that he could only describe as stricken. "But we can't jus' leave 'em like this…" she argued weakly, her head turning in the direction of the church. The church full of injured and homeless people.

"We've done all that we can do," he repeated. It took all her strength to simply nod and slump against him, his arms supporting her. They turned around and said a quick goodbye to the others, accepting their thanks and trudging off in the general direction of the TARDIS.

When they finally walked through the doors it was nearing on three o'clock in the morning by Earth standards and Rose was dead on her feet. Her entire body ached, head to toe and she could think of nothing better to do than fall into her bed wrapped in her wonderfully soft duvet that the Doctor had picked up for her at a large market they had gone to once. The fact that she was absolutely filthy though, her hair greasy and matted and her skin caked with dirt, prompted her to make her first priority a shower. No matter how tired she was, she was not about to get into bed in this state.

The Doctor pulled some levers and turned some dials, throwing them quite smoothly into the Vortex for once. " 'm gunna go take a shower," is all he could make out from the mumbled words that passed her lips as she turned and headed toward the corridor. He took a few quick steps though and caught her wrist.

"Wait, are you alright Rose? You weren't injured at all were you? I know we were on the outskirts of town but you still got knocked around a bit." The concern on his face made her frown, wondering herself how she had come through in as good of shape as she had. Aside from the couple of scrapes and bruises she'd acquired and a bit of a sore ankle from where she had rolled it, she seemed okay.

"Yeah, 'm fine. Just knackered." The yawn that accompanied the statement proved just that.

"I would expect so. You've had less than ten hours sleep in the last three days. Alright then, go get cleaned up and get in bed. I'll even bring you a cuppa if you'd like," he told her with a smile.

Rose groaned as she started toward the corridor again, her hand falling out of his. "That'd be lovely."

By the time he had made the tea and brought it to her room though, Rose was fast asleep on her bed; wet hair fanned out on the pillow around her and lying on top of her covers as if putting them down had been too much effort. And so, the Doctor managed to wriggle the blankets out from beneath her, settling them on top of her and sweeping her hair away from her face. The tea could wait until the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fallen Walls**

**Part **2**/3**

**Uploaded:** January 13, 2015

**Rated: **T

**Spoilers:** None

**Summary: **Set sometime in series two, The Doctor and Rose Tyler have had yet another exhausting adventure on a planet that turns out to need more help then they are able to give. Coping with all that she has seen proves a little more difficult for Rose this time than it has in the past. Perhaps the Doctor will be able to make her feel better.

**Disclaimer: **None of the following characters or circumstances belong to me, but rather to the lovely people over at BBC who are responsible for the creation of this amazing show and its wonders. I own nothing.

**A/N: **Hi again! Here's part two. I noticed a couple little errors in my last chapter, so I apologize for that. Silly mistakes are all my own. Enjoy! – Max

The steaming water pounded down onto Rose's head, stinging her skin and making her eyes water. Of course, she could never seem to get the water any hotter than it was now, not like she might have been able to in her mum's apartment. No, the TARDIS would never allow for that no matter how much Rose might wish she would. The old girl seemed bent on keeping Rose safe and scalding hot water was definitely on her list of unsafe-things.

None the less, when she stepped out of the shower Rose's skin was tingly and red, all of the dirt and grime washed away. She felt marginally better, the hot water helping to relax her muscles. Looking at herself now though, she could see all of the scrapes and bruises she had acquired recently. Well, she thought, best not to let the Doctor see those. If she knew him anywhere close to as well as she thought she did, she knew he would cart her straight to the infirmary and do all sorts of tests and scans, proving his title of doctor the way he did sometimes. The infirmary was the last place she wanted to be right now, with its bright lights and hard beds. She wanted her own fantastically warm, snugly mattress and pillows.

She dressed quickly in sleep shorts and a large t-shirt, attempted to towel dry her hair for a minute before she gave up, and practically fell into her bed, not even bothering to turn down the blankets. Yes, this would do just fine. Who needs blankets when onboard a ship that is always at just the right temperature?

The next time that Rose became aware, it was with a moan coming from her lips, cold sweat dripping down her spine and that awful jerking movement she always made upon waking up suddenly. Images flashed behind her eyelids, memories of shattering pottery, splintering wood and suffocating screams. Her eyes flew wide open as her body was overcome by pain radiating through her muscles. Her teeth clenched at the sudden strength of the ache she had been feeling for days. Clearly all of the activity lately had not been gentle on her body. She should have known something like this would happen with the amount of running for her life she'd been doing and next to no sleep added right on top.

Blowing as slow and steady of a breath as she could manage out through her lips, she stilled and attempted to relax into the bed, hoping for some relief. When she heard footsteps coming down the hallway though, she was more than grateful. Pain spread through her neck and shoulder blades as she turned her head toward the door when it was pushed open slowly, a soft light pouring through from the corridor.

"Rose? You alright?" he said quietly as he came in. "the TARDIS led me here."

Closing her eyes against the light that had brightened in her room, Rose merely nodded her head. "yeah, jus' a bit sore. Well, when I say a bit…" she trailed off, attempting to chuckle a little but stopping when it sent waves of pain radiating through her back. She had never experienced anything like this before.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. Tell me what's wrong." He was using his doctor voice again. The one that managed to be professional, concerned and calming all in one. Rose supposed he'd had quite a few years to perfect it though.

"Hurts," she managed through gritted teeth. Damn. She didn't mean to sound so pathetic.

"Alright, you've got to tell me where though Rose," he gently explained as he began peeling the covers off of her, searching for the source of her distress. She was lying on her side, facing towards him where he kneeled beside her bed. Her eyes were still firmly shut and her posture more rigid then it should be.

She groaned again and said simply, "everywhere," causing the Doctor's eyebrows to pull together in concern. Blankets pulled off, he ghosted his fingers along her arm, looking for reactions. When he laid his hand on her shoulder, trying to roll her over onto her stomach, her breath left her lungs with an audible whoosh and something akin to the word "no" left her mouth, although it was more of a squawk than anything else. He stopped his actions immediately, turning his attention to her back. Possible spinal injuries started listing themselves in his head and he became even more concerned.

"Rose, is it your back? Is that where the pain is?" When she nodded her head slightly it was his turn to blow a breath out of his mouth. "Alright, I want you to stay still and try to relax alright? I'm going to do a few scans," but when she didn't respond he tried again. "You still with me?"

With a noise that he could only describe as irritated, she managed a short "yes." Pulling the sonic from his pocket, the Doctor adjusted it to the correct setting and began running the blue light up and down her body, pausing every once in a while to look at the readings. For Rose's part, she just laid there, not comfortable but also not in any strong pain for the moment. She didn't dare move a muscle though.

The Doctor whistled suddenly through his teeth. "Seized and strained muscles everywhere."

"I could've told you that." Frustration bubbled up in her again, thinking of the weakness of her body. She should be stronger than ever with all that she does. She certainly shouldn't be having the muscle cramps of the century, that's for sure.

"Well, it's better than I had first assumed," he said, ignoring her comment. "Certainly nothing that can't be fixed. I'll need to move you though Rose. I'd really love to get you to the infirmary where all the equipment is but I don't think that's an option at the moment, eh?" He had moved back, sitting on his haunches beside the bed so he could see her face. She shook her head at his comment, not at all liking the idea of moving at all let alone walking all the way to the infirmary.

"We need to get you onto your stomach. That will be the most comfortable position for you and give me the best access while I'm treating you. I want you to listen to what I tell you alright? We don't want you moving the wrong way and causing more problems." He brushed some hair out of her face and looked at her with concerned eyes. Rose nodded though, knowing there was really no other choice.

Images of her friend Shireen's father skirted into her mind, memories from when she was younger. He had worked in a big factory his whole life and had developed a bad back over the years, progressively getting worse as he got older. She had been at the house one time when he was in the midst of one of his bad spells, had seen his wife helping him up from the couch or down the stairs. She cringed as she remembered the beads of sweat across his forehead, showing exactly how much pain he was in.

She shook the memories off though, focussing on the task at hand. The Doctor was standing now, hands poised above her. "You need to straighten your legs out first. That way, the alignment of your spine will be better," he explained gently, hands wrapping around her calf. "Ready?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor began straightening her legs out. Still on her side, she gripped her pillow tightly as he moved them as gently as possible. She finally let out a breath when he stopped and he came back up beside her.

"That's it. Take a breather. There's no rush." He ran his hand up and down her arm softly and comfortingly.

Rolling Rose over onto her stomach proved to be a much bigger feat though. He had removed the pillows from beneath her head much to Rose's disapproval. They had managed to get her arms above her head as well. When the Doctor put a hand on her waist and began rolling her though, Rose's muscles immediately tensed, a moan ripping through her against her will. Her eyes stung with tears and she held her breath. He didn't stop until she was flat on her stomach though and even then the pain didn't let up.

"I thought you said this position would be more comfortable!" she yelled at him, hands clutching the headboard as she gasped for breath. A sob ripped its way through her throat.

"Shh, shh. I know. I know, Rose. Breathe." He was sitting beside her on the bed now, his hand softly petting her hair. From what the sonic had told him and what he had felt when moving her, the muscles in her back and shoulders were seized and knotted beyond belief. He couldn't believe that he had allowed something like this to happen. How had he not noticed?

After a few moments Rose was a little more relaxed, taking deep breaths and letting her body sink into the mattress. She was realizing that so long as she was relaxed and still the pain was quite manageable. She just hopped there would be no more moving in the immediate future.

"Bit better?" the Doctor questioned from beside her. When she nodded, eyes hooded due to a sudden sleepiness that had come over her, the Doctor gave her a smile. "Good. I'm going to go and get a few things from the infirmary and then before you know it we'll have you back in tip top shape. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Thanks Doctor… you know, for helping me out," she said nervously. She knew of course that the Doctor would always be willing to help when she needed it. She simply didn't like admitting to herself that she needed it in the first place.

"Never any need to thank me for that. I'm more than glad to help. I would never want you in any pain or to be uncomfortable. Now, you stay put and I'll be back in just a tick with all sorts of things that will make you feel better," and he stood to leave but stopped when she snorted and scoffed lightly.

"Don't think I could go anywhere if I tried."


	3. Chapter 3

**Fallen Walls**

**Part **3**/3**

**Uploaded:** January 16, 2015

**Rated: **T

**Spoilers:** None

**Summary: **Set sometime in series two, The Doctor and Rose Tyler have had yet another exhausting adventure on a planet that turns out to need more help then they are able to give. Coping with all that she has seen proves a little more difficult for Rose this time than it has in the past. Perhaps the Doctor will be able to make her feel better.

**Disclaimer: **None of the following characters or circumstances belong to me, but rather to the lovely people over at BBC who are responsible for the creation of this amazing show and its wonders. I own nothing.

**A/N: **And, our third and final part. Thanks guys, and enjoy! – Max

The Doctor was not in the slightest surprised when he returned to Rose's room to see that she had not moved an inch. He couldn't think of a time when he had seen her like this, in so much pain and not at all herself. She hadn't even been this bad off when she had been clawed by that rogue Voelak in a market they had been visiting. He had acted quickly of course; whisking Rose off to the TARDIS after ensuring that the authorities who had been chasing the creature had done their job. The amount of blood she had lost had concerned him greatly at the time but some pressure on the wound, several dermal regenerative lotions, a soothing balm, a good, sturdy bandage and some pain killers and she had been back to her jovial, cheeky self. Even throughout the process she had been joking with him the entire time about the creature's bad breath when it had hissed at her. This however, seemed to be effecting her in a completely different way and he wondered for a moment whether it was just the pain that was ailing his Rose.

Stepping closer, he was just about to ask her how she was feeling when he noticed her closed eyes and relaxed posture. She was asleep. It was no surprise really. She had only been asleep a few hours when she had woken up. She ought to be quite exhausted.

The Doctor weighed his options for a moment. He knew she needed the rest, knew that sleep would be good for her right now but that it really would do nothing to help her seized muscles. In fact, it would only become worse the more she lay unmoving. Making up his mind, he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, rubbing in soft circles trying to ease her from her sleep. "Rose," he murmured.

He hadn't anticipated the way she would jerk and gasp as if she were wrenched from sleep suddenly. Her entire body went rigid for a moment and she blinked rapidly, sucking in a huge breath of air. "Woah, hey, easy. It's just me," he attempted to placate but she only clenched her teeth and buried her face in her pillow, muffling the painful sound that escaped her mouth.

"It's alright, Rose. You're fine. Try to relax your muscles. That's it," he coaxed, watching her breathing start to even out a bit again. Her face was covered by her pillow and her fingers were in tight fists against the mattress. A muffled sound came from the pillow but it certainly wasn't anything distinguishable. "What?"

"Drugs. Did you bring drugs," was the reply that came when she finally brought her face out from the pillow. He raised an eyebrow. "Painkillers! You know, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin… anything…"

He shivered slightly. "Oh, no. Never Aspirin. Aspirin is very bad Rose."

"Just because it could cause _your _death doesn't mean it could cause mine," she began as he started rustling around in the bag he had brought into the room with him. "Right now, it would actually do the exact opposite of kill me. It would create a significant increase in my will to live, really."

"Oh hush and let me do my job, will you?" he snarked back with a smile. She only groaned again. She really was in a bad mood but with the complete lack of sleep, the intense muscle cramps and the fact that they had not had a cheery adventure in over a week; the Doctor figured she deserved to be a little short.

He removed a silver tube-looking device from one of his pockets that Rose had seen a few times in her time on the TARDIS and had picked up the purpose for. She watched as he inserted a glass vile of blue liquid into the end of it and nodded her consent when he held it to her arm with a questioning gesture. He pressed it to the junction of her elbow and there was a soft hiss, a click and a tiny prick of pain against her skin.

"What was that?" she asked, knowing he had injected her with something, hoping beyond hope that it was some kind of pain reliever but not wanting to complain anymore.

"Muscle relaxant. Should kick-in in a moment."

She nodded and closed her eyes, fighting her exhaustion. All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep a deep, dreamless sleep for a solid ten hours and wake up when everything was normal and she could smile and laugh easily. But of course, with the harsh twinges running up and down her spine, no such respite could be found.

It didn't help either that she simply couldn't stop thinking. Thinking about devastation and loss and pain and everything she wished were eradicated from the world. It was a silly thing to think, she knew. Impossible. But it didn't stop her. It didn't change the images of a peaceful universe playing teasingly through her mind.

"Rose? How's it feel?" She opened her eyes lazily, attempting to gauge the pain, evaluate whether it was better, worse, or simply no different. She laid thinking for a moment. Deciding she was in no real mind to tell a difference between then and now, she committed to no one answer by emitting an indifferent sounding hum. The Doctor sighed.

Then his hands were on her. Rose immediately tensed, more out of surprise than any real pain, and felt him begin to push her shirt gently up her back. She could tell he was trying to be gentle and was grateful for it but could come up with no good reason in her mind that he should be doing this. "Hey! What you doing?" she said, attempting to move her head to look at him.

He stopped his movements. "I need to see what I'm doing. It's up far enough now, don't worry. I'm done with the shirt." He was clearly trying to calm her down. He was using his doctor voice again.

"Why do you need to see? Can't you just, I don't know… give me some medicine? I thought the muscle relaxant-" her words were cut off suddenly when she felt his cool hands on her lower back, just above her tailbone. His thumbs pressed into her skin, stretching the muscles underneath. They immediately cramped, seizing and throbbing, and Rose turned her face into the pillow her head was lying on. _What in the _hell _was he doing?_

"Relax, Rose. The more relaxed you are the easier this will be. Breathe." She could hear him saying words, sentences, but really didn't have the ability to think too hard about their merit in that moment. He pressed again, working her muscles with his fingers.

She tensed again. Or more. She had never really stopped. "What are you _doing?_" she managed to get out of her mouth after moving her head to the side again. She was completely baffled.

"We've got to work the knots out of your muscles. Massage is the best way to go about it. The muscle relaxant I gave you helps with the process. It will be a lot better for you though, if you relax. Calm. Let me help."

The way he said it was so caring, she thought. Not his doctor voice anymore. No, this was _the_ Doctor. This was her friend, the man she cared about so very much and who, she knew, cared for her as well. She sucked in a long, deep breath and tried to settle into the mattress. Her eyes closed. Her fingers unclenched from around the bed post.

"That's it. Lovely." This time, when his fingers came to her back, working her muscles with a practiced ease that she couldn't help but wonder about, she fought through the urge to tense and stayed relaxed. It hurt, but then it didn't. It began feeling good, excellent really as she felt the tension drain from the muscle, and Rose couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. The Doctor chuckled.

He moved his way up her back, moving from major muscle to major muscle, stretching and working her muscles through the tension and all the way into relaxation. The waves of pain that came to Rose were now relatively quickly replaced by those of pleasure as the knots were worked out, and she could hardly believe that she hadn't fallen asleep yet.

The Doctor was working on the stiffness in her neck, finding the last group of tense muscles and beginning his massage pattern when he felt her tense again. She sniffed quietly, and a spasm rocked through her body, a sob coming from her mouth. Immediately moving his hands away, the Doctor jumped into a position from which he could see her face. Once he did, he saw that her cheeks were wet.

Cupping the side of her face that was not pressed against her pillow, the Doctor rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "What's the matter? Did I press too hard? You seemed okay so I figured… oh."

She was sobbing. Full, wracking sobs that rocked through her like tidal waves. She sat up suddenly, arms wrapping around him, face pressed against his shoulder. The Doctor reciprocated immediately, wrapping himself around her.

Rose began rambling against him. "They died. They all died, they were all dead. All the bodies…" She was gasping for air against him, sucking in breath after breath as if she couldn't get enough.

"Rose, no, it's okay. It's alright." He shushed her gently.

"No! I was… I was helping bring them in. I was bringing them into the church. They were so… they were all in such bad shape. Even the children…" she was pulling away from him slightly now, her head jerking from side to side, looking straight through him. Seeing things he couldn't, he could tell. Oh, how well she had faired all this time through their travels. How could he not have expected for everything to become a little to much at some point? He was stupid, he knew, stupid for putting her through all that he did. She didn't deserve this.

"I know. But we saved them, remember. We saved many people. Had we not been there Rose, things would have been much worse…" The Doctor realized a tad too late that this may not have been the best of things to say when she only sobbed harder.

"She died Doctor! She died in my arms. She was so little. She was tiny. I don't… I can't…" Rose thrashed against him now, her breathing even faster and shallower than it had been.

"Hey. Rose… Rose look at me." He grasped her forearms, managing to trap them against his chest, moving so he was holding them with one arm. With the other, he caught her jaw and turned her face toward his. "There you are. Hello. Now I want you to breathe, Rose. In and out, you know how. Relax. You're safe." When her eyes finally met his and seemed to focus, she calmed slightly and he relaxed his grip on her arms. "That's it. Breathe. Just like that."

She slumped against him again, crying softly as she focussed on relaxing her breathing. He simply held her, trying to come down himself from the adrenalin of the moment. Humans had the most fascinating ways of coping with trauma. He'd seen it so many times, having as many humans along with him for as long as he had, and it never ceased to confuse him. In a way though, he found it perfectly effective. Being able to get everything out of one's system in that way, all at once, without any reservations, was somehow extremely effective. He wished he could let go that way sometimes.

Of course, he very much disliked Rose going through anything of the sort. It was unfair of him, to expect her to handle all the things they did without any reservations. As much as he was loath to admit it, it hurt him to see her hurting. He'd grown to care for this human so completely. When had that happened?

A little voice in his mind answered, _"Run."_

He sighed, resting his cheek against the top of her head and kissing her hair without as much as a thought, and rubbed circles on her back.

It was then that Rose got a hold of herself. She pulled away rather abruptly, wiping at her smeared mascara and attempting to stop her hiccupping breaths.

"'m sorry…" she said softly as she began looking around herself, searching for something apparently. She straightened her blankets, adjusted her top, and blew her nose in a handful of tissues that were sitting on the nightstand. The Doctor's eye brows furrowed.

"What? Rose, you haven't anything to apologize for." He reached a hand out to her.

"Of course I do. Of course I… You shouldn't have had to do that. I'm not that person. I don't need… that," she settled on the word as though she weren't happy to be using it and evaded his touch. The Doctor couldn't make out what she was saying as she muttered to herself and asked for clarification.

"Just, you can go. I'm sure you've got loads to do. I've been enough of a bother," Rose replied more clearly with a smile that was stiff and lacking in any real emotion.

"Never." She looked up at him in confusion at that. "You're never a bother. Never could be," and he reached out again, this time succeeding in reaching his goal. He tucked a strand of her knotted hair behind her ear. She stared down at her lap.

Chuckling softly, he added, "Well, besides maybe when you insist I come with you while you visit your mother. That's nearly always a bother." This time when she smiled, he could tell it was genuine.

"Tell me about her," he implored gently, settling next to her against the headboard. Rose knew he hadn't meant her mother.

So, she told him about the young girl who she had tried to save. About how she had such deep blue eyes, like nothing she'd seen before. The colour of the TARDIS, almost an exact match. She told him of her lovely braided hair and the way she watched Rose's every move, hung on her every word as if she were the most important person in the world. Rose supposed she had been just that to the homeless, parentless, child though. She told him of the way she was absolutely certain the dress the girl had been wearing would have been beautiful if not for the rips and blood stains.

Rose told him how she died. How there had been nothing that could be done. How she had tried and tried and tried…

"You made a difference today, you know." They were so entwined by this point that they were practically one, sitting closely with arms and legs tangled. "You're extraordinary."

Her cheeks turned a hardly noticeable pink as she looked down and shook her head. The Doctor gently took her jaw in his hand though, tilting her face up to his, so close he could feel her breath ghost across his lips.

"You're extraordinary," he repeated in a whisper and kissed her. He kissed her softly and with so much care that Rose thought she may die, right then and there.

He stayed in her room that night, handing her Tylenol and a glass of water to prevent the soreness that he knew she would feel in the morning from her injuries. He watched her for a while, as she slept, absently running a hand up and down her arm. He couldn't turn away from her. He thought he may never be able to.

The Doctor slept. He slept, for the first time in a very long time, just because he could. He dreamt about pink and yellow ribbons and soft hair. He warded off her nightmares as she slept, filling her head with thoughts of joy, hope and love. It wasn't much. He knew it could not completely make up for the things that plagued her mind. He also knew that it couldn't hurt though. That was why, when he woke in the relative morning only to see Rose sleeping peacefully beside him still, he didn't leave as he once may have. He didn't leave because for once, he was going to do the thing that didn't hurt.


End file.
